John Marshall High School starts Great Expectations training
John Marshall kicked off their Great Expectations training this week. Here’s some info from Principal Aspasia Carlson:
We aim to be the first model secondary school in OK. We had a barbeque lunch, courtesy of JM staff on the grill and lots of good company! We had a fantastic day of learning!
How interesting is that? I plan to revisit this in a couple of weeks.
More information about Nichols Hills Elementary gym
A clever reader shared this detailed info with me this morning in an email about the Nichols Hills Elementary gym project. (It’s one of those times as a reporter that you wish you would have had it yesterday! Doh!) I’ll be honest. I’ve never heard of the phrase “geotechnical report,” so I have definitely learned something new today!
I just looked at the geotechnical report for Nichols Hills Elementary and it shows the Gym to be on the west side. The geotechnical investigation and report are completed prior to the structural plans. The geotechnical investigation was authorized on 3/14/2008! The report was issued on 5/27/2008. If you follow this link: http://www.okc.gov/agendapub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=agenda&itemid=63818, you can look at some of the plans and the geotechnical report (especially the “Plan of Borings” page) in Addendum 1. I don’t know what the people on Glenwood were told, but as far as the architect and the City is concerned (Building Permit was issued on 11/28/2011), that Gym was always going to be on the west side, right up against their backyard fence.
Oklahoma students make Oregon State University honor roll
Oregon State University recently released its honor roll for the spring semester, and four Oklahoma students made the cut.
Two students had 4.0 averages. Emma A. Mc Intosh, of Norman, is a sophomore majoring in human development and family science. Chris A. Letchworth, of Stillwater, is doing post-baccalaureate work in Food Science and Technology.
Two studnets had a 3.5 or better. Marcus G. Wharry, of Idabel, is a senior majoring in natural resoruces. Garrett M. Rhodes, of Midwest City, is a junior majoring in exercise and sport science.
Fun, back-to-school facts from the U.S. Census
The U.S. Census put out some interesting facts related to the back-to-school season:
$7.7 billion: The amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2011. Only in November and December were sales higher. Similarly, sales at book stores in August 2011 totaled $2.4 billion, the strongest sales month of the year. For back-to-school shopping, choices of retail establishments abound: In 2009, there were 28,520 family clothing stores, 7,092 children and infants clothing stores, 26,651 shoe stores, 8,945 office supply and stationery stores, 21,628 sporting goods stores, 9,390 bookstores and 8,663 department stores.
79 million: The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2010 — from nursery school to college. They comprised 27 percent of the entire population age 3 and older.
72: Percentage of children 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergarten who attended all day, as of October 2010.
24: Percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2010.
27: Percentage of students ages 12 to 17 who were in a gifted class in 2009.
70: Percentage of 6- to 17-year-olds who were highly engaged in school (children reported as liking school, being interested in school and working hard in school) in 2009.
11.8 million: Number of school-age children (5 to 17) who spoke a language other than English at home in 2010; 8.5 million of these children spoke Spanish at home.
16: Percentage of all college students 35 and older in October 2010. They made up 34 percent of those attending school part time.
41: Percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college in 2010.
56: Percent of college students who were women in 2010 (includes both undergraduate and graduate students).
$74,000: Median earnings of full-time, year-round workers with an advanced degree in 2009. Workers whose highest degree was a bachelor’s had median earnings of $56,000. Median earnings for full-time, year-round workers with a high school diploma was $33,000, while workers with less than high school diploma had $25,000 median earnings.
Oklahoma City-County Health Department offers developmental screenings
If you haven’t taken your child to one of these yet, you should. It’s pretty cool. Here’s some information from the Oklahoma City-County Health Department:
The Child Guidance program at the Oklahoma City-County Health Department will offer developmental screenings for children birth to five years old at the following libraries and on the corresponding dates.
- Northwest – Thursday, July 26, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Belle Isle – Wednesday, August 1, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Capitol Hill – Thursday, August, 2, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Bethany – Friday, August 3, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Warr Acres – Friday, August 10, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Del City – Tuesday, August 14, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Edmond – Wednesday, August 15, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Midwest City – Wednesday, August 15, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
These will be individual sessions lasting approximately 1 hour with a Child Development Specialist, Speech/Language Pathologist and/or a Behavioral Health Specialist. Sessions include discussion about the normal range of early development as well as any parenting questions that the parent may have in the areas of Speech, Language, Development, and Behavior. Sessions are by appointment only. There is a small fee for screenings. Medicaid is accepted. No person will be denied services for inability to pay.
Ask your questions to Oklahoma City Superintendent Karl Springer
You have the chance to ask the superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools a question. Here’s how:
If you could ask the leader of Oklahoma City Public Schools anything, what would you ask?
Well, actually, you can ask the superintendent anything.
NewsOK is accepting questions for Superintendent Karl Springer from the public through noon Tuesday, July 24. Reporters will choose the best questions for a special back-to-school Q&A with the leader of the state’s largest school district.
Here’s how to submit a question:
- Post a comment on this story or on NewsOK’s Facebook page.
- Tweet @NewsOK or @carriejacobs.
- Email ccoppernoll@opubco.com.
And you can leave a comment here on this blog if you have a question as well. I’ve already received a couple of really good ones, so don’t be shy! I know there are more out there!
John Marshall teacher promoted to Jefferson Middle School assistant principal
Last night I spotted Billie England at the Oklahoma City School Board meeting, and I was a little surprised to see her. Normally teachers don’t pop up at those meetings, so I was caught a little off-guard. Then, as the meeting wound up, I figured out why she was there. The John Marshall High School math teacher was being promoted. She was named an assistant principal of Jefferson Middle School. It was neat to see someone I met and interviewed move her way up the ranks. The last time I saw Billie, she was making kids run and laugh about algebra. Here’s the story I wrote about her:
“OK my babies, OK my darlings, OK my sweetie pies.”
John Marshall High School math teacher Billie England settles down her class and starts in on her lesson.
Students calculate volume on the marker board as part of a state test review. It’s a game England plays. Each corner of her room represents one of the multiple-choice answers on a state practice test. Students work the problem and then move to the corner they think represents the right answer. The class is almost always divided.
England weaves around the desks, peeking over students’ shoulders. She pats a few on the shoulder. Her goal is to call on or physically touch every kid every hour.
“Kids have a tendency to melt into the wall,” England said. “You can’t just let those kids go unnoticed.”
England wants her students to do well on state tests, but she also wants to prep them for life. Some of her students come from loving homes; others don’t. She works at John Marshall because she wants to help them.
“They need me,” England said. “I don’t know what to say. I guess I need them, too.”
Just as the students debated the answer to an equation, the bell rang.
“Clean it up,” she said. “Go away. Love you. See you Monday.”
Metropolitan Library System hosts Children’s Music Festival
Sounds like fun! Here’s a press release from the library folks:
Couch potatoes, put on your dancing shoes and get ready to boogie!
The Metropolitan Library System’s Fourth Annual Children’s Music Festival pumps up the volume and has kids ready to rock the library to the sounds of Aaron Nigel Smith from “Between the Lions” and Dino O’Dell and the Veloci-rappers.
“The Children’s Music Festival,” said MLS Director of Outreach Dana Morrow, “is original songs that tell stories and celebrate reading and the arts. It’s interactive, fun and participatory, and it’s for kids of all ages. Through this and other musical events and series we’ve learned that kids respond to music better than just about anything else. A wide variety of musical styles is almost as much fun for them as browsing a toy store—or reading a good book.”
The Festival continues over five days in July and 18 libraries.
- Monday, July 23, 10:30a.m.: Northwest Library (606-3580) Dino O’Dell
- Monday, July 23, 10:30a.m.: Southern Oaks Library (631-4468) Aaron Nigel Smith, event held offsite at the OCCC Family and Community Education Center, 6500 S. Land Avenue
- Monday, July 23, 2:00p.m.: Capitol Hill Library (634-6308) Dino O’Dell
- Monday, July 23, 7:00p.m.: Midwest City Library (732-4828) Aaron Nigel Smith
- Tuesday, July 24, 9:30 & 10:30a.m.: Bethany Library (789-8363) Dino O’Dell
- Tuesday, July 24, 10:30a.m.: Ralph Ellison Library (424-1437) Aaron Nigel Smith
- Tuesday, July 24, 1:30p.m.: Downtown Library (231-8650) Dino O’Dell
- Tuesday, July 24, 2:00p.m.: Luther Library (277-9967) Aaron Nigel Smith, event held offsite at Luther High School Auditorium
- Wednesday, July 25, 10:30a.m.: Del City Library (672-1377) Aaron Nigel Smith
- Wednesday, July 25, 10:30a.m.: Wright Library (235-5035) Dino O’Dell, event held offsite at Exchange Avenue Baptist Church, 1300 S. Pennsylvania
- Wednesday, July 25, 2:00p.m.: Choctaw Library (390-8418) Aaron Nigel Smith
- Wednesday, July 25, 2:00p.m.:Warr Acres Library (721-2616) Dino O’Dell
- Thursday, July 26, 9:30 & 10:30a.m. Edmond Library (341-9282) Aaron Nigel Smith
- Thursday, July 26, 2:00p.m.: Jones Library (399-5471) Aaron Nigel Smith, event held offsite at Jones Community Center, 120 W. Atlanta
- Thursday, July 26, 2:00p.m.: The Village Library (755-0710) Dino O’Dell
- Thursday, July 26, 7:00p.m.: Belle Isle Library (843-9601) Dino O’Dell
- Friday, July 27, 10:30a.m.: Harrah Library (454-2001) Dino O’Dell, event held offsite at Harrah City Hall, 19625 N.E, 23rd
- Friday, July 27, 10:30a.m.: Nicoma Park Library (769-9452) Aaron Nigel Smith
Children’s Music Festival is co-sponsored by Arts Council of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information about this or any Metropolitan Library System program, visit the MLS website, www.metrolibrary.org.
Free child developmental screenings offered this month
The Oklahoma City-County Health Department will offer free development screenings for children age 5 and younger this month at the following times and locations:
- Edmond – 1 to 5 p.m. July 11.
- Warr Acres – 9 a.m. to noon July 13.
- Midwest City – 1 to 5 p.m. July 17.
- Choctaw – 1 to 5 p.m. July 19.
- The Village – 1 to 5 p.m. July 24.
- Northwest Oklahoma City – 9 a.m. to noon July 26.
The private sessions last about an hour. The professionals check your child’s speech, behavior and other developmental milestones. There’s a small fee depending on income, but nobody is turned away because of the inability to pay. Medicaid is accepted. Appointments are required. To schedule one, call 425-4412.
Major contracts awarded at OKCPS meeting Monday night
I’ll have a story in the paper tomorrow about the Oklahoma City Public Schools school board meeting, but I wanted to post a list here of the contracts and agreements they approved here. A few notes about this list …
It includes only things of $100,000 or above. I didn’t include things previous ratified. I didn’t include things lumped together that totaled more than $100,000 that had multiple contractors. I didn’t include things that didn’t have specific contractors/sellers, such as the board giving the district the right to pay for things as they arise within a certain budget. Everything’s rounded to the nearest dollar. If you’d like to read the full list of all 10 bajillion contracts, just click here. Easy as pie.
So, without further adieu …
- Oklahoma Roofing and Sheet Metal, roofing and repairs, $15 million.
- PATCO, electrical repair, $15 million.
- Schuler Enterprises, plumbing repairs and service, $15 million.
- Hardesty Team Heating and Air Conditioning, chiller repair, $14 million.
- Commercial Roofing, roof repairs and replacements, $10 million.
- Oklahoma School Assurance Group, worker’s compensation insurance, $5,062,294.
- Apple Computer, technology and service, $4 million.
- Dell Computer, technology and service, $4 million.
- Ace Transfer and Storage, moving and storage, $3 million.
- Hiland Dairy Foods, milk, $2.6 million.
- Cooks Fencing, repair and replacement, $2.5 million.
- Buddy’s Produce, produce delivered to schools, $2.2 million.
- Pearson Agreement, professional development, $2 million.
- Independent Insurance Agents of Greater Oklahoma City, property and casualty insurance, $1,861,628.
- Sodexo, food service, $1,428,655.
- SAP, software, $1,249,142.
- RobertsTruckCenter, bus parts, $1.2 million.
- Core Knowledge, elementary school reform supplies, $1 million.
- Great Expectations Institutes, professional development, $1 million.
- Siemans Industry, heating and air repairs and maintenance, $1 million.
- Hunzicker Brothers, electrical supplies, $800,000.
- Office Depot, office supplies, $750,000.
- Voss Lighting, lamps, $750,000.
- Chartwells, child nutrition, $585,000.
- Edusoft, benchmark assessments, $532,837.
- Connections Learning Virtual Learning Programs, full-time virtual education program, $500,000.
- Johnson Controls, heating and air repairs and maintenance, $500,000.
- Oklahoma Department of Central Services, various vendors, $500,000.
- Central Oklahoma Winnelson, plumbing supplies, $500,000.
- Johnstone Supplies, heating and air supplies, $450,000.
- Fuzzell’s Business Equipment, toner cartridge supplies, $410,000.
- Woods Labor and Staffing, temporary landscaping labor, $380,000.
- MetroTech educational services dropout recovery and prevention program, $360,000.
- TransPar Group, transportation, $358,720.
- Marzano Research Laboratory, professional development, $357,500 atCentennialHigh Schooland $175,000 atDouglassHigh School.
- MASSCO Maintenance, custodial supplies, $350,000.
- Waste Management, trash service, $350,000.
- Allied Steel, crane service, $300,000.
- Federal Corporation, boiler repair, $300,000.
- MASSCO Maintenance, copy paper, $300,000.
- AT&T, hosting of SAP, $296,984.
- Center for Education Law, basic legal services, $250,000.
- Hardesty Team Heating and Air Conditioning, repairs and maintenance, $250,000.
- Harris House Moving Contractors, moving services, $250,000 and $150,000.
- Shannon Construction, building repairs, $250,000.
- Youth Cornerstone, truancy program, $192,000.
- EMC Hardware, network storage, $168,958.
- Dell, backup hardware, $167,820.
- Gates-MacGinitie, student tests, $164,585.
- Life Excelerator – Assessment of Personal Skills, teacher training, $163,250.
- Presort First Class, mail service, $160,000.
- ACT, testing supplies, $150,000.
- Filtertec, air filters, $150,000.
- R&R Delivery, courier mail, $125,000.
- Discovery Education, web and video service, $115,000.
- Smartweb Technology Programs, license, $106,061.
- Reliance Medical Sales, medical supplies, $106,000.
- American Eleveator Service, inspection and repair, $100,000.
- Hardesty Team Heating and Air Conditioning, boiler repair, $100,000.
- Magic Services, cafeteria laundering, $100,000.
